Design Support Method and Apparatus

1. A computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium storing a program for causing a design verification apparatus to execute a design verification process of a harness assembly, the design verification process comprising: obtaining, from a three-dimensional design apparatus, first data of a plurality of parts that represent one or more wires of one or more harness assemblies, wherein each of the plurality of parts is formed by end surfaces and side surfaces, and the plurality of parts are generated by the three-dimensional design apparatus; first generating, from the first data, second data including control point candidate data for control point candidates within the end surfaces, end surface data defining the end surfaces and path candidate data for path candidates between the control point candidates, for each of the plurality of parts; successively searching the plurality of parts for parts that have same control point candidate data and same end surface data; second generating, based on detected parts in the searching, a first list of parts for each of continuous shape paths, each of which represents one wire; searching the continuous shape paths for a first continuous shape path and a second continuous shape path that has an end surface included in an end surface of the first continuous shape path; third generating, based on detected first and second continuous shape paths, a second list of harness assemblies that include one or more continuous shape paths; fourth generating harness assembly data for each harness assembly listed in the second list by extracting, from the second data for the parts included in the first list for each of the continuous shape paths included in the harness assembly, the control point candidate data, the end surface data and the path candidate data to determine control points of the harness assembly and data regarding parts disposed between the control points, wherein the fourth generating comprises identifying a plurality of end surfaces of parts, which have a same attitude, and are on a same plane and are not included in any end surface of any other parts, to calculate a position of a control point for the identified plurality of end surfaces based on the control point candidate data for the identified plurality of end surfaces; and verifying a design of the one or more harness assemblies represented by the harness assembly data.

2. The computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the design verification process further comprises generating, from second harness assembly data that was processed by the design verification apparatus and includes second control points and data regarding parts disposed between the second control points, third data to be used in the three-dimensional apparatus by dividing one or more second continuous shape paths included in one or more second harness assemblies represented by the second harness assembly data into sections according to the second control points included in the second harness assembly data, wherein the third data includes data of parts having end surfaces and side surfaces for each of the sections.

3. The computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the design verification process further comprises searching the continuous shape paths for a plurality of continuous shape paths, which are other than the detected first and second continuous shape paths and have same layout.

4. The computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the design verification process further comprises: searching the harness assembly data for one or more sections that are included in a plurality of harness assemblies and have same layout; and generating, from control points included in detected one or more sections, data of binding control points.

5. A design verification method for a harness assembly, comprising: obtaining, by using a design verification apparatus, from a three-dimensional design apparatus, first data of a plurality of parts that represent one or more wires of one or more harness assemblies, wherein each of the plurality of parts is formed by end surfaces and side surfaces, and the plurality of parts are generated by the three-dimensional design apparatus; first generating, by using the design verification apparatus, from the first data, second data including control point candidate data for control point candidates within the end surfaces, end surface data defining the end surfaces and path candidate data for path candidates between the control point candidates, for each of the plurality of parts; successively searching, by using the design verification apparatus, the plurality of parts for parts that have same control point candidate data and same end surface data; second generating, based on detected parts in the searching, by using the design verification apparatus, a first list of parts for each of continuous shape paths, each of which represents one wire; searching, by using the design verification apparatus, the continuous shape paths for a first continuous shape path and a second continuous shape path that has an end surface included in an end surface of the first continuous shape path; third generating, by using the design verification apparatus, based on detected first and second continuous shape paths, a second list of harness assemblies that include one or more continuous shape paths; fourth generating, by using the design verification apparatus, harness assembly data for each harness assembly listed in the second list by extracting, from the second data for the parts included in the first list for each of the continuous shape paths included in the harness assembly, the control point candidate data, the end surface data and the path candidate data to determine control points of the harness assembly and data regarding parts disposed between the control points, wherein the fourth generating comprises identifying a plurality of end surfaces of parts, which have a same attitude, and are on a same plane and are not included in any end surface of any other parts, to calculate a position of a control point for the identified plurality of end surfaces based on the control point candidate data for the identified plurality of end surfaces; and verifying, by the design verification apparatus, a design of the one or more harness assemblies represented by the harness assembly data.

6. The design verification method as set forth in claim 5 , further comprising generating, from second harness assembly data that was processed by the design verification apparatus and includes second control points and data regarding parts disposed between the second control points, third data to be used in the three-dimensional apparatus by dividing one or more continuous shape paths included in one or more second harness assemblies represented by the second harness assembly data into sections according to the second control points included in the second harness assembly data, the third data including data of parts having end surfaces and side surfaces for each of the sections.

7. The design verification method as set forth in claim 5 , further comprising searching the continuous shape paths for a plurality of continuous shape paths, which are other than the detected first and second continuous shape paths and have same layout.

8. The design verification method as set forth in claim 5 , further comprising: searching the harness assembly data for one or more sections that are included in a plurality of harness assemblies and have same layout; and generating, from control points included in detected one or more sections, data of binding control points.

9. A design verification apparatus comprising: a memory; and a processor configured to use the memory and execute a process comprising: obtaining, from a three-dimensional design apparatus, first data of a plurality of parts that represent one or more wires of one or more harness assemblies, wherein each of the plurality of parts is formed by end surfaces and side surfaces, and the plurality of parts are generated by the three-dimensional design apparatus; first generating, from the first data, second data including control point candidate data for control point candidates within the end surfaces, end surface data defining the end surfaces and path candidate data for path candidates between the control point candidates, for each of the plurality of parts; successively searching the plurality of parts for parts that have same control point candidate data and same end surface data; second generating, based on detected parts in the searching, a first list of parts for each of continuous shape paths, each of which represents one wire; searching the continuous shape paths for a first continuous shape path and a second continuous shape path that has an end surface included in an end surface of the first continuous shape path; third generating, based on detected first and second continuous shape paths, a second list of harness assemblies that include one or more continuous shape paths; fourth generating harness assembly data for each harness assembly listed in the second list by extracting, from the second data for the parts included in the first list for each of the continuous shape paths included in the harness assembly, the control point candidate data, the end surface data and the path candidate data to determine control points of the harness assembly and data regarding parts disposed between the control points, wherein the fourth generating comprises identifying a plurality of end surfaces of parts, which have a same attitude, and are on a same plane and are not included in any end surface of any other parts, to calculate a position of a control point for the identified plurality of end surfaces based on the control point candidate data for the identified plurality of end surfaces; and verifying a design of the one or more harness assemblies represented by the harness assembly data.

10. The design verification apparatus as set forth in claim 9 , wherein the process further comprises generating, from second harness assembly data that was processed by the design verification apparatus and includes second control points and data regarding parts disposed between the second control points, third data to be used in the three-dimensional apparatus by dividing the one or more second continuous shape paths included in one or more second harness assemblies represented by the second harness assembly data into sections according to the data of the control points included in the second harness assembly data, the third data including data of parts having end surfaces and side surfaces for each of the sections.

11. The design verification apparatus as set forth in claim 9 , wherein the process further comprises searching the continuous shape paths for a plurality of continuous shape paths, which are other than the detected first and second continuous shape paths and have same layout.

12. The design verification apparatus as set forth in claim 9 , wherein the process further comprises: searching the harness assembly data for one or more sections that are included in a plurality of harness assemblies and have same layout; and generating, from control points included in detected one or more sections, data of binding control points.